DCA Genocide:Chemistry of 2 Flames
by Reizaki
Summary: Humans made them, but now they will do anything to obliterate them...the prisoner knows nothing about his rescuer, only that he is not a complete stranger...AU...G27...
1. DCA

_**Disclaimer: **All rightful characters are owned by their rightful owners, namely Amano Akira_

* * *

_**Chapter 1**_

_-D.C.A-_

* * *

_Summer never leaned in and gave a kiss to those in the underground. Only Winter gave them the embrace of pain with its nights below zero; torturing those bodies that desperately try to protect the flickering flame that dwelled so weakly inside. _

_Someone, stop the toll of the bell, rewind their lives and set it up again so they will never fall._

* * *

_It would not stop._

The continuous sounds of it falling from the ruptured pipes haunted the narrow passage. Grime covered the rough stone floor like a second layer, mixing in with the rust, bones and blood of the past prisoners in a heap on the ground; their wrists too thin to be held by the shackles. The loose chains beat against the moss-covered wall, angered by the fact that they no longer burdened anyone, except for one.

Every so often someone would breathe in a harshly tone, as if they had given up on life but hadn't quite made it to death. Then there would be a hush, followed by the noise of chains hitting against each other, silently screaming as their links were torn apart.

_It stopped._

The prisoner looked at the heavily bolted door.

Beyond those doors someone was coming, but he couldn't tell who.

A new fear clenched what was left of his heart, and he again tried to free himself of the chains. The blunt metal crudely pressed into his swollen wrists and ankles; digging in deeper till his skin broke and poured out young blood.

Unable to control their desires, the parasite infested rats skittered to the luscious source they were all craving for. In a matter of seconds, the first rat sunk its decayed teeth into his flesh and the boy bit his lip, too scared to make any sound. Sensing that the boy had let down his guard, the rats came at him; biting, scratching and tearing at his exposed skin.

They were all diseased with rabies.

His dry skin became moistened by the childish tears running down the purple bruises on his cheeks. He could feel the growing pain gnawing everywhere on his body, but as seconds passed, the feeling became fainter. His sight was starting to fail him, growing hazy and blurry, yet he could feel the presence of a person coming.

_A…person…here?...impossible…_

"I've finally found you," a voice whispered beside him.

Before the prisoner slipped away into the darkness, he saw those eyes.

The flames of life.

* * *

_Number 27 begin reflex training level 19…do not let your guard down..._

_Number 27's reflex actions has become 0.7 seconds slower...revise reflex training level 18..._

_Continue the completion of program X..._

_Number 27 kill the opponent in front of you…do not let your emotions take over you!_

_Kill him number 27! __**KILL HIM!**_

His eyes twitched violently as the nightmares brutally lashed at him with its whip of nine tails. From afar he could feel pain shoot up his arm, as if 10 syringes were being simultaneously inserted into his veins, but the throbbing would die down the next second.

He opened a tiny gap in his eyes, however regretted it soon after.

The large glazed window was yawning open; its mouth revealing a whole set of white gold teeth, grinning like the happiest person in the universe. Instantly the boy rolled onto the floor, hiding himself from the glare behind the canopy bed. When his eyes had adjusted to the abnormally bright room, he looked up and saw a male figure holding a long strip of bandage.

"Are you alright Tsunayoshi?" The man reached out for the boy, but he rejected the hand as if it were covered deep to the pores in malicious sins.

"It's alright, I'm not a guard. I'm here to help you," he told him in a gentle tone, though the boy just shook his head rapidly with wide, unblinking eyes.

"Look," the man said as he rolled up his right sleeve. The boy peered at his arm and then relaxed, letting out a sigh of relief.

"See? Just relax and concentrate on healing your wounds." He carefully bandaged the boy's forearm, trying to not apply pressure onto his wounds and then smiled after clipping the safety pin on, satisfied of his work. The man stood up and packed away the tools of the first aid kit on a nearby table. Then, his movements stopped abruptly.

"Put the gun down Tsunayoshi."

He turned around to see the boy holding a revolver pinpointed exactly to his heart. The drawer of the bedside table was open.

"How did you know the gun was there?" His voice showed not a hint of emotion.

Tsunayoshi nibbled on his swollen lip. He couldn't see through this man at all. He had just suddenly switched off.

"I saw through the drawer." The words rolled unnaturally off his tongue. He really couldn't remember the last time he had spoken.

The man paused as if he were analysing the boy's words. "So you really are one of them."

The strength of Tsunayoshi's small but dangerous hands wrapped around the revolver weakened for a moment, and the man advanced forward. With no more than two steps, he had grabbed the gun off the boy and threw it to the other end of the room. He had the boy pinned down on the floor like a helpless calf, unable to escape the eagle's powerful talons. The man leaned in and whispered the words that Tsunayoshi didn't want to hear, ever.

"The DCA and your number is 27 I figure."

Tsunayoshi's pale eyes showed signs of distress but the boy knew that his identity had been exposed and so had no intention of trying to hide anything anymore. "You saw the tattoo on my back?"

The man slid his hand along the upper area of Tsunayoshi's back and tapped it knowingly. "Yes and I also know that the Government believes you are the last of them. The others were apparently killed by the Government because they were too dangerous to handle but I heard that a few went missing and landed in the black auction. You seemed to be one of them."

He then looked at the boy in the eye. "What happened to your master?"

The boy kept his lips shut, and it seemed as if he wouldn't answer. Whether it's by disgrace or remorse, for a moment something stopped Tsunayoshi from telling him.

_You're worthless...you have no reason to live, other than kill before my feet you hear me!? You fucking fake-human!_

A small laugh escaped his mouth.

_Sympathise 'that' human? No way in hell._

"He died when I said 27 to him." There was no scrap of sympathy in Tsunayoshi's voice.

"How?" The man questioned, subtly startled by the sudden change of the boy's tone.

"He went up in flames and burned till he was completely black."

That was enough information for him. He was now certain.

The man got up, looking as if he were deep in thought and went to collect the gun.

"27!"

At first, the man felt a small spark of warmth from within him, but as the flames grew, he knew that Tsunayoshi still had the killing intent in him. The boy willed the murderous vermillion flames to grow and envelope the man's body. However, suddenly the flames were gone.

The two figures gazed at each other.

One pair eyes were full of disbelief, and the other now had a hint of understanding in them.

"I guess when there are two flame bearers, the other nulls each other."

* * *

Although the man had never told him how long he was allowed to stay or even who he was, Tsunayoshi decided that it was safer to stay in the room than flee outside. Because of a sensory cage around the house, invisible to the naked eye, he couldn't let his mind escape the building. However, his senses caught onto a radio wave of a news program and curiously, he listened to it in his mind.

_"Yesterday in the city, there was an enormous carnival celebrating the ridding of all DCA and that peace had finally come into the hands of the country. Prime Minister Xanxus informed everyone this morning that the last of the DCA had been executed and disposed of by the country' best technology which turns all mechanical structures into dust and melts bodily functions to nothing. Along the..."_

Tsunayoshi got rid of the radio wave.

He couldn't take any more it. It was just too horrible.

_It's not my fault that I was sold to some science department and made into a human experiment. _

_Why did I have to kill my friends so they could monitor my strength? Why did they make me kill more and more and make me stronger? _

_Was there really any meaning to my existence? Why was I even born into this world if my only purpose was to just kill? _

_**Why!?**_

A hand covered his eyes and Tsunayoshi was pushed back onto the man's shoulder.

"It's not your fault Tsunayoshi; it's not your fault." Even though his senses were yelling at him to not trust this man, Tsunayoshi relaxed into his arm and for once, slept without a care in the world. The man smiled seeing Tsunayoshi's angelic expression, almost impossible compared to the looks he was given a few hours ago.

He laid the boy onto the bed and tenderly covered the blanket over his body, then realized that Tsunayoshi's body was unnaturally cold.

_Probably from all the anxiety._

Before he closed the polished yew door, he glanced at the sleeping child.

"14," he uttered under his breath and shut the door behind him, sighing a little.

A figure turned at the corner of the end of the corridor and the man quickly changed his expression to a bright one. The figure's whole attire was the colour of pure onyx, together with his hair in the style of a long rat's tail. He had a stern looking face, but his eyes showed a strong sense of loyalty within them.

"We have found two others at the Black Market in the south," he reported, skimming over his notes in a black clipboard as he came walking."They will be arriving at the Primo House later this day."

He looked up to see his boss with a delighted expression.

"Have they got rooms yet?"

"I have assigned them to one room with two beds as the two refused to be separated," he replied, knowing that this was not a rare happening.

The boss nodded understandingly. "That's fine. In the D.C.A circle they tend to develop mutual relationships. What are their names?"

His black eyes glanced at a particular highlighted area on his notes. "Gokudera Hayato and Yamamoto Takeshi, they are both 14 years old."

"I'll visit them later, after I check on the _system._"

The man sensed the subtle tone of pain in his bosses' voice. He had come to realise that his boss always talked about the 'system' in that tone.

"I will send a chauffeur when you are finished." He knew that all he could do was to support the boss to his fullest, making things the easiest for him, and be more sensitive to his feelings and actions.

"Thanks," his lips curved into half a smile. "And also Lal was asking for some more books down at the House. It seems like Colonnello's read all of them to the young ones."

"I see, more picture books for the younger children," he commented as the man noted down the request quickly in his unique font, which his boss had failed in working out.

"And perhaps we should get some new sports equipment too." The boss always looked in high spirits whenever he talked about the enjoyments for the children. He had that soft, warming aura that almost seemed to wrap whoever was near in a cosy blanket.

"They will be sent as soon as possible to the House." He again let his fountain pen glide over the page and underlined the note twice, so it would stand out from all the other writing.

"Good, thanks for that."

"The pleasure is always mine," he remarked with a small smile.

The boss started walking, and then he stopped when the two were standing beside each other. He put a firm hand on the man's shoulder. "Keep an eye out for Tsunayoshi while I'm away. If he becomes uncontrollable use…._that, _but it is to be used only under the direst of circumstances, do you understand me?"

"As you wish," the man bowed his head a little.

He nodded approvingly and walked off, his footsteps echoing through the long corridor, like that of a lost spirit in search of a loved one.

"Why do you care so much for them when they took everything you loved from your life, Giotto-san?"

The man sighed, putting his pen into a small container and then into his inner pocket. He closed the clipboard, containing all of the bosses' requests and news concerning the **D.C.A.**

* * *

**Notes from Yuhazaki:**

This was originally meant to be a oneshot birthday fic for my **awesomeX2 **game-freak friend _**Vonna Plum**_, but it just got too long and complicated so I'm gonna make it a story^^ Hope you enjoy my friend (even though it's quite confusing) and have a **great** Birthday!...wow so close till the next day o.O


	2. Fake Memory

_**Chapter 2**_

_-Fake Memory-_

* * *

_On the black granite floor, his feet left behind white footsteps. _

_He didn't know where he was going but Tsunayoshi kept on walking, fearing that the darkness would consume him like his footsteps, which were slowly disappearing. He had no way of returning and had to walk on, never to look back at those vermillion eyes, tainted with loathing._

_Something hazy appeared, like a person with short sightedness watching a movie projected onto a wall. _

_Curiously, he walked up to the floating pool and reached out to touch it. His fingers created a ripple, which distorted the fusing and ever-moving colours as if he were disturbing the harmony. Tsunayoshi pulled his hand back, alarmed by the feeling of it trying to enter into him. He checked his hand; there was nothing on it, only that scar..._

_A white rectangle appeared on the pool with the words, "Write Your Name" on the top left hand corner. The boy started patting his body, searching for a pen and looked around, though knowing the fact that pens don't conveniently lie around for people who need them. He gave up after a minutes worth of searching, not wanting to stray too far from the bright pool and sat down tiredly. _

_The white space continued to stare blankly at his face, and Tsunayoshi returned the expression. There was a growing numbness in the tips of his fingers, and he moved them about as if playing an imaginary piano. _

_Then an idea came to his mind._

_He looked at his finger disbelievingly, and then reached up to the illuminating rectangle. A black dot appeared from the tap of his finger and he cleared any doubting thoughts. Tsunayoshi brought his hand up again, and started writing his name in characters: "__沢田綱吉__."_

_"Name verified. Proceed to fake memory of Sawada Tsunayoshi.," a computerized voice stated, as the rectangle turned a fluro green and then disappeared, revealing the swirling pool as it started forming an image._

_What? My...fake memory?_

_As the final colours slithered into place, the boy realised that the picture was of a house. He reached out for it unconsciously, and felt those colours envelope him into the memory. The darkness around him became the canvas of the colours, as they overpowered it with more force and speed than the boy could have ever imagined. There wasn't even a speck of black to be seen, and he felt much safer with the bright colours of life surrounding him._

_Suddenly, his eyes twitched from the glare of something on the fence. The boy cocked his head to the right, avoiding the glare and saw a wooden plate that bore the golden characters of 'Sawada' on its surface._

_A crow cackled spitefully as his feet lead him in through the front door and to his surprise, a figure popped out from the kitchen._

"_Tsu-kun? What are you doing so home early? Don't tell you wagged!?" A women whom he identified as 'Mum' confronted him with a saucepan. But a moment later, her expression softened. _

"_You felt sick so you came home? Oh my poor Tsuna-kun, here I'll get your bag. You just go to your room and rest ok?" Her lips curved into a motherly smile._

_Ah, the warming smile of a mother. He hadn't seen such a thing for a long time._

_The stairs let out not even a sigh as he swiftly ran up to his bedroom. He opened the door and flew onto his bed as though it were the softest cloud in heaven._

_His room, was exactly how he remembered it._

_He turned to his bedside table and peered at the photo that he thought he would never see again._

_The photo of him with his friends. _

_The last photo with them...where are you guys now...?_

_Tsunayoshi put a hand to his forehead, agonizingly going through his mind album of memories which he had struggled to preserve in his mind, in spite of all the torture he had gone through. _

_Even if he had his memories, they were merely remembered experiences that could only live as long as his mind didn't die. He wanted them beside him, not as memories but physically so that when death came, he would be able to say goodbye to them and tell them how much he loved them._

_He spread out his hand up to the white ceiling._

_Why are we so far away? Didn't we always walk together? On that same road...?_

_The hand fell to his side. _

_From downstairs, he heard his mother talking...to someone on the phone? Even though her voice was hushed, he could just hear something. Her tone of voice was different. It had a different colour which Tsunayoshi didn't like and lead by his suspicion, the boy silently crept out of his room and down the stairs, but when he was halfway down, he stopped._

_He heard his mum's responses to the person on the phone and felt as though a cold hand was clenching his weakening heart, digging its nails into his arteries._

…_so how much would he be?....I see…yes….well he does lack in confidence a little but…yes….he's home now yes….now?...yes alright…..I'll go out….and the money?....oh yes it is in the bank…..yes…I'll go in 5 minutes...yes...good doing business with you...goodbye_

_As questions screamed in his mind, he noticed that part of the living room which he could see was pixelated and was the colour of a hazardous red, as if it were a warning of some sort. He slid down the remaining stairs, and took a quick glance into the room. The whole room was covered in small squares coloured with the red, including his mum._

_What is this!?_

_'How much'...'money'...'business with you,' those cruel words whispered to him like a death sentence from the Devil himself._

_..Mum...you can't have...sold me!?_

_His heart pulsed throughout his body like countless sonic waves and though his legs shook violently, he crawled up to his bedroom, fearing that his mum might catch him. Tsunayoshi left the door unclosed because he had already made a decision._

_I have to escape...I have to!_

"_Tsu-kun I'm going to quickly pop to the grocers!"_

_He shut his eyes, unable to believe that the smile he had seen a moment ago was in fact __**fake**__._

"_Ok mum, I'll just be resting in my bedroom," he replied in his normal tone, though inside he was seething with rage._

_So this is what you do to your own son. Sell him off to some person for pure greed._

_The engine of the car hummed before driving off in a pleased manner, and hearing the departure, Tsunayoshi grabbed his wallet and phone, and raced down the stairs, only to stop as a figure blocked his path. The man had flowing silver hair and had a sword which seemed to be attached to the upper part of his hand._

_"Voooii, where'd ya think your going kid?"_

_He instantly jumped over the staircase rail and dashed into the kitchen, quickly glancing back at the figure. Tsunayoshi then realised that the living room was no longer the bloody red colour, and as his eyes drifted off, he lost sight of the silver-head. It was then a moment after, something hard knocked him to the ground._

_Before he completely passed out, he saw a black car and from afar his pixelated and red mother, smiling._

_The boy lost track of time and even after waking up, he was wondering what day it was. There was a blindfold covering his eyes, and he was glad that he couldn't see anything because he could smell the aroma of fresh blood everywhere. A hand shoved him towards a particular direction as the metal around his wrists and the blindfold was removed. He opened his eyes a little but felt his insides twist together._

_"Show me your power number 27," a deep voice echoed. Tsunayoshi looked up and met eyes with a man sitting on a heavily scarred chair. _

_Those eyes...are the same ones..._

_"Don't keep me fucking waiting, you piece of trash!" A bullet hurtled past, cutting the boy's cheek and he fell to floor, unable to stop his body from trembling. He had no idea what the man wanted._

_Unable to wait any longer, the man stood up and walked to the figure on the ground. With no mercy, he kicked the boy in the face, sending him to the opposite wall, where he lay on the floor unmoving._

_"SHOW ME YOUR FUCKING POWER!!"_ _He roared, kicking the mound of skeletons who had all fallen under his rage._

_Tsunayoshi suddenly stood up with a dark face, as blood dripped down his face. He couldn't feel any pain, but there was something building inside of him. Something that wanted to be awakened...a word wanting to be formed upon his lips..._

_"WHAT THE FUCKING ARE YOU LOOKING AT!?" The man held up his gun, about to shoot every bullet he had into the boy's body._

_"27" Tsuna whispered with flaming eyes._

* * *

**Notes from Yuhazaki:**

This chapter is sooooo late==" Gomen!!!

I hate this chapter...it's too horrible for TsunaTT_TT


	3. System of 410

_**Chapter 3**_

_-System of Number 410-_

* * *

Beyond the gate, there were those scarlet trees that spread across the sky like a blood-spattered wound. They stood still when a figure appeared at the doorway, turning the key in the lock and softly opening it, so that he could enter the world of the fire masquerade. Giotto closed the gate behind him and strolled along the pathway of broken granite tiles to a fountain in the centre of the garden. His coat encircled him as he stopped in front of the waterless fountain.

The man's fingers traced along a deep crack on the edge where a single plant was struggling to live on. Giotto placed a hand upon the plant and uttered the number under his breath. Though he was slightly reluctant about what he was doing, after seeing the plant radiating with life, Giotto's lips couldn't help but curve into a small smile.

However, as his eyes wandered to a silver gleam in the fountain, he cursed himself and the memory of his father.

_"Father! What did you do to me!? I-I can see things!" The boy waved his hands in front of his face, frantically trying to rid something. His father crouched down, gripping his son's shoulders and nodded his__head with a satisfied expression. "I know you can see things."_

_"But why!?" The boy cried with terrified tears in his eyes._

_"Why my boy? Well that's because you're going to be the first model of the D.C.A project!" His father shouted in a proud manner, as if he wanted to let the whole World know. "Here, say __**410**__ to this coin," as he said this, his father took out a single silver coin from his pocket and gave it the boy._

_"W-What will happen father?" Though fear was stained to the core in him, somewhere a small spark of interest gripped him. His father just continued to smile and finally curiosity got the better of him._

_"410" _

_Instantaneously the coin burst into flames and the boy dropped it, fearing that it would burn him._

_"I-It works! Yes it works! I must tell him now!" His father stood up and was about to run but the boy grasped onto the pocket of the stained lab coat._

_"Tell who...?"_

_A wide grin appeared on his father's face._

_"Prime Minister Xanxus, my dear boy."_

Giotto found the thread back to reality before the memory devoured him, but it was only thanks to the knife in his hand. There were numerous scars on his inner arm, except one fresh cut which dripped of blood.

_Blood is just a camouflage of what we really are..._

He threw the metal weapon down on the ground with frustration and swiftly paced himself away from the fountain that he loved and loathed so much. Giotto then curved away from the path and head into the flame trees' territory where he searched for something. He came across a mound of shed petals and reached into it, opening a hidden door to the underground. The man quickly slipped inside, firmly closing the door behind him and started climbing down the stone stairs, veiled in darkness. After his foot tread the last step, without much of a struggle, Giotto found his chair and sat on the only piece of furniture in the room.

He remained in silence for a while, inspecting the room to see if any outsiders had popped in for an unwelcoming visit. There were none that he could sense, and so Giotto closed his right eye and peered straight ahead with the other. From his open eye, a screen was projected onto the wall with the letters 'D.C.A' in large, bold print.

"Input names: Gokudera Hayato, Yamamoto Takeshi under file **Del Cuore Artificial,** Artificial Heart," Giotto's voice echoed within the spacious room.

The screen changed to a list of names with the date when they were found and place where they were found beside it, as well as their age and sex. A white rectangle with a blinking vertical line appeared on the screen and typed the two names. Then the rectangle disappeared and the names appeared under the corresponding letter.

_"Names inputted. Searching information automatically," _a computerized voice stated, as the screen showed a meter at the bottom filling up with green, a block at a time.

Giotto paused for a moment, and then decided on something. "Terminate information search. Direct contact with Gokudera Hayato, Yamamoto Takeshi within 5 hours. Initiate direct contact information search when identified."

"_Information search terminated. Prepared for direct contact information search," _the voice affirmed, as the meter disappeared and a small yellow circle switched on at the top left hand corner.

"Find numbers," Giotto commanded though with hesitance in his voice. Every time a new D.C.A was found he went through this process, and even though he had done it countless numbers of times, finding out their numbers was always daunting for him, because it would determine if his father was right or not.

A half black and white square full of flickering white and black numbers appeared upon the screen, and he waited anxiously for the numbers. Suddenly, the blinking stopped and a pair of numbers became visible.

_"Numbers found: Gokudera Hayato, five-nine, Yamamoto Takeshi, eight-zero. None are of S-type," _the voice stated.

The numbers '59' were both black on the white surface and '80' were both white on the black surface.

Giotto let out a sigh. _So there're really only two of the S-type D.C.A; the ones that can create the pure light. It's all according to father's notes…but…_

"Go to file _Father's Notes: S-type D.C.A_," he said and the screen changed to images of his father's notes. It zoomed in on one particular page with a scrawly star sign indicating its importance.

_S-type D.C.A*_

_D.C.A with one even and odd number…can possibly create the __pure light__ to wake D.C.A under the X-syndrome made by Xanxus…no such experiment has been held to prove this theory…only two S-type D.C.A has been created; one being originally a standard D.C.A, number '410,' and the other '27' which has disappeared and possibly become caught by Xanxus..._

The writing ended there with a splatter of blood and Giotto knew already that his father had been killed by Xanxus' subordinates, before he was able to conduct any experiments about the pure light. He heaved a sigh and was about to tell the voice to exit the image, however something inside him told him not to.

Giotto felt that the image was concealing an important note but no matter how much he zoomed in to various areas of the page, he couldn't find anything. That is till he noticed a strange dent beside the blood.

"Scan image and search for depth," he told the voice, and a ray of horizontal green light passed down the image.

_"Depth of 0.7cm and 1.3cm found."_

There were various red outlines of places on the notes which had depth. There was red on the words and Giotto knew that his father was constantly poking holes into his notes and leaving heavy marks on the next page. There was however, red on the blood and it outlined the hidden scripture.

_pure light...born...chemistry...2...strongest..._

"Pure light...this has to be the key in creating the pure light," Giotto whispered, picturing his father engraving the message with his nails within the last few seconds he had to live. _Father, you actually want me to free the D.C.A from the X-syndrome...together with Tsunayoshi..._

"Close file. Close system," Giotto murmured thinking about the last message of his father.

_"Initiated shutdown of system."_

The screen returned to the white screen with D.C.A written on it, then disappeared all together. Giotto opened his other eye and then remembered that he had to visit the two newcomers. He hurriedly returned to the surface of the World, knowing that he always lost track of time down in the room and turned his miniature transceiver on, which was hooked onto the inner pocket of his coat.

"What time is it?" Giotto asked in an urgent tone, annoyed that of all things his father had to do, the creator didn't put a clock in him.

"It is exactly 1 o'clock," his advisor replied calmly.

"Can you send a chauffeur to the back as soon as possible?" He said, while running along the long path to the driveway and wished that he didn't own such a large backyard.

"A chauffeur is already awaiting you," the voice had a pleasing tone.

"How come you're so pro at estimating how long I check on the system?" Giotto chuckled, seeing the chauffeur leaning against the slick, black car.

"I merely guess Giotto-san," the advisor seemed to have a smile in his voice, if you could have one."Have a safe trip and I will meet you at Primo House."

"Thanks...ah, I nearly forgot, can you drive Tsunayoshi there?" Since the D.C.A had been solitarily confined, Giotto wanted Tsunayoshi to meet the others and try make friends with them.

"Of course. He has just woken up, so we will depart soon."

"Thanks again, see you," Giotto clicked the device off as he got onto the back-seat of the car and the chauffeur smoothly closed the door behind him. Then the man himself sat down in the driver's seat and turned the revving engine on with a smirk.

"Hey boss," the chauffeur started, turning around to the man, "are we running late?"

Giotto knew that mischievous grin on his face and sighed knowingly. "Well I guess we are." Before the man hit the accelerator, the boss reached out and took of his chauffeur's hat. "You won't be able to see with that hat on Reborn."

There was an annoyed expression on Reborn's face, but he decided to vent his irritation upon the accelerating pedal and pushed it down hard. The car went racing away, making Giotto almost squash Leon, Reborn's green chameleon which lived on his hat.

"Reborn! Are you trying to kill us!?" Giotto felt that he had said that phrase too many times.

"No boss, I'm just making sure that we get to Primo House on time," Reborn replied, skilfully using one hand on the wheel, while changing radio stations with the other.

As the chauffeur flicked through the stations, Giotto heard the news for a split second and doubted his ears.

"Change to station 4 now!" Reborn sensed that now wasn't the time to start an argument as to who gets to listen to what station, and quickly changed it to the station.

_"...has identified a figure who is believed to be collecting the D.C.A that have been landing in Black Auctions and Markets throughout the country. His name cannot be revealed but the Federal Police refer to him as __**G**__ and that..."_

Reborn had turned off the radio station.

"Hold on tight boss, this is gonna be one heck of a rough ride."

* * *

**Notes from Yuhazaki:**

Gah, hope this wasn't too confusing=="

Btw, I'm using characters from the past and future together:P

And Reborn is the Adult version^^


	4. Concealed

**_Chapter 4_**

_-Concealed-_

* * *

"And how did the boss' bed manage to catch on fire?" The man who named himself as the 'consigliere*' was tapping his finger on the flame extinguisher which he held with a deep frown. There were burnt marks on the bed sheets as well as the mattress, and the flames had even started nibbing at one of the pillows. Tsunayoshi was in the middle of the black heap, still with droopy eyelids from the unexpected rousing and the man sighed, noting down on his clipboard to get a new bed.

"Anyhow, get dressed in this," he remarked, placing a neatly folded pile of clothes on the foot of the bed, along with a pair of sneakers. "I'll be waiting outside. Don't take too long."

The advisor swiftly exited the room, eyeing the small figure on the bed. Tsunayoshi started sluggishly crawling out of bed but failed in landing on his feet as his face met the ground in a painful collision. With a groan he got up, now fully awaken and took the first thing on top of the pile.

It was a simple white t-shirt.

He tried to shove it on in a manly way but instantly felt his wounds rip open, and resorted in putting one arm through at a time.

_I'm glad no one was watching…_The brown head laughed quietly to himself with an embarrassed expression as he felt for the next piece of clothing.

An orange parker was in his hand and he was overcome by a sense of familiarity. _It's the same one I was wearing that day…_

From the minute gaps of the door, an impatient aura was flowing into the room and the boy remembered that the man was waiting for him. Forgetting about his aching muscles, Tsunayoshi chucked on the shorts and socks, shoving his feet into the perfect sized sneakers and raced out of the room. The consigliere was standing beside the door with his arms crossed and eyes closed as if he were in a trance.

"I'm ready," the brown head stated, peering up at the man who was in the reverie-like-state.

Those sharp eyes snapped open, almost with a hint of surprise but the man erased such an emotion from his eyes and nodded, starting to walk down the hallway. Tsunayoshi followed the man without a word, captivated by the many artworks displayed on the walls, all of which were singing with colour and life. Outside the windows, he noticed that there were seemingly endless fields of green beyond the single vertical line of the road. Curiosity bloomed inside of him and the brown head made his eyes zoom outside, noticing that there were no indications of any other houses, shops or buildings nearby. He looked around the house with his D.C.A sight, through walls and into rooms, however found that there were certain rooms which he couldn't look into.

"Even with your type of sight, there are several rooms in this mansion that you can't see through."

Tsunayoshi's eyes returned to look at where he was walking. "How did you know I was looking with my D.C.A sight?"

The advisor hid a small smile on his lips. "I know from experience," as he said this, the man opened a door which revealed a flight of concrete stairs into the darkness. After the flick of a switch, light was brought upon the garage of classy looking cars. The two trudged down the stairs in silence and when they were at the bottom, the man gestured for Tsunayoshi to get in the first car of the row.

Just as its slick appearance, the interior had not an ounce of dust on it as if it had appeared right out of a shop. The brown head sat on the seat beside the driver's and as the consigliere himself climbed on; a frown appeared upon the man's face.

"How old are you?" Unlike the other D.C.A, the advisor didn't know anything about this boy besides his name. But his boss had probably already gained the information 'his way.'

For a moment, the boy thought and recalled the memories that he had. Back when he was in that prison like hole, the thought about time had never crossed his mind.

"14 or 15 I think..." He replied hesitantly. It felt strange to not know your own age.

The man raised his eyebrows, and for once his emotionless face showed an 'evil' side. "Are you sure? I didn't know boys could be such midgets at that age." A playful smirk　was written upon his face as the consigliere drove out of the garage and onto a round-about. Sensing the car's presence, the gates opened their doors, letting the car through onto the smooth road.

"Just because your tall…" The brown head had a small pout on his lips. "I bet you drank 10 cups of milk every day."

Another even wider smirk appeared upon the man's face. "Unfortunately, dairy products are an instant killer for me."

The boy's jaw dropped in a comical style, unable to believe that a person could grow so tall with hardly any protein. "That's so not fair." Even his other** friends **were taller than him and they were the same age as he was!

"Do you think the world was ever made to be fair?" The consigliere couldn't hide the bitter pain in his voice. The smile had completely disappeared.

Tsunayoshi shook his head. "No...it never was…" _If it had been, right now I would be at school with Gokudera-kun and Yamamoto, living a normal life as a student…_ He looked up at the sky through the window. _I wonder what they're doing now… _

Electric waves were everywhere, some speeding towards their destination while others just floating about aimlessly. Even though he knew how to block out the sight and sounds of the waves, his thoughts were always easily disturbed by their presence.

All of a sudden, the brown head heard the sound of a crackle and he felt a wave being sent to the consigliere's transmitter.

_They've found out about me. Xanxus' men are probably heading to the mansion now. When did you leave?_

He didn't mean to eavesdrop, but believed that it was better to know than not know something important or urgent for this matter.

"We have left only a few minutes ago. What should we do?" The man flicked his eyes to the sky and then to the road, checking for any possible signs of Xanxus' men.

_Hand the transmitter to Tsunayoshi._

With one hand on the steering wheel, the advisor handed the small device to the boy. "The boss wants to speak to you."

Tsunayoshi brought the device to his mouth. "Um hello?"

"Hello Tsunayoshi, glad you sound better," the voice on the other end chirped.

He was quite surprised that in such an urgent sounding time, the boss would be thinking about the boy's health. "…thanks," he said with uncertainty, not knowing whether to speak casually or in a polite manner.

"Tsunayoshi, I need you to do something for me. It requires your standard D.C.A. power."

The request was quite out of the blue and the brown head realised how critical the situation really was. "What's happened?"

"I'll explain everything when you get to Primo House."

There was urgency in his voice and Tsunayoshi decided to just do as he's told for now. "Alright."

"Ok, right now I want you to find the radar system of those who name themselves as the **Varia**. I'm not certain about their transportation or number but I am pretty certain that they would travel by car or helicopter. After you find them, make a fake digital version of the mansion a few kilometres from the real one, and then hack into their system so that it directs them to the fake mansion. It shouldn't use too much energy but I really need you to do it now."

A question instantly flashed in the brown head's mind.

"Why can't you do it?"

The boss paused, completely thrown over by the question but decided that there was no point in hiding the fact. "How did you know I was one of them?"

"I heard you whisper your number," Tsunayoshi replied, remembering the quite mumble at the door.

"Damn, you heard it?" The voice on the other end chuckled lightly.

"I did….but thanks," he paused for a moment, thinking about a way to address the man,"…boss….your flames warmed me."

"Your welcome…hmm….boss sounds odd….call me Giotto, Tsunayoshi," he remarked.

The brown head felt a strange warmth build inside of him. "…Giotto….san?..."

Another small laugh could be heard from the transmitter. "Put the '-san' if you want to."

"Then…Giotto-san, in return for your flames, I'll do the thing you want me to do now."

"Thanks Tsunayoshi. I know you'll be able to do it," Giotto said confidently as if he knew the boy's potential.

Tsunayoshi put the transmitter on his lap and pondered over a thought that had crossed his mind when he mentioned the boss' flames.

_Aren't the powers of the D.C.A number meant to be all offensive? I've never heard of a healing type…_

He put the thought into the 'think later' folder, remembering what he had to do and closed his eyes.

There appeared to be even more electrical waves than before, perhaps it being the 'Varia's' tactic to hide among all these other waves. He knew that the systems had to be hidden somewhere. Even though he hadn't been informed about what sort of group the Varia were, Tsunayoshi had a feeling that they were one of those underworld groups. The groups always had a code and a particular colour to the wave. Unlike the electric yellow of the news radio waves and programs, it was a crimson red…._like the colour in that memory…_

In the corner of his eye, he found a red wave. _If you've found one, you've found them all._

He was dead right. The brown head found 2 red waves in the air and 3 on the ground…_so 2 helicopters and 3 cars…_

Tsunayoshi's mind created a grid map of the area and locked onto the 5 moving dots so he wouldn't lose them. He then chose an area 5 grid blocks away from the real mansion and started digitally recreating a fake, which took no more than a minute. His last job was to hack into the Varia's systems without them knowing, and decided to pick the helicopters' systems first, as he started hacking into them simultaneously. Surprisingly there weren't many barriers or guards protecting the systems and Tsunayoshi got into the main control easily and sent a command with his mind.

_Code 414816398. Change destination to grid co-ordinations X,39._

_A_ computerized voice replied. _Code accepted. Destination changed to X,39._

Tsunayoshi wanted to check to see that the change wouldn't be too obvious and opened his eyes, quickly zooming into the window of the first helicopter.

There was a blonde throwing slender-looking knives at a photo in a darts-like fashion. The figure in the photo looked very similar to the blonde and the two could have easily been twins. His subordinates were all clumped in a corner, probably fearing that they would become pierced by those knives and end up looking like human cacti.

In the second, there was a man with a connected eyebrow to lip piercing holding a photo frame high in the air, shouting "Praise me boss! Praise me!" while his subordinates looked on at the scene with furrowed brows.

The flashing dots on both of the radars changed but none of them noticed to Tsunayoshi's relief.

_Now the 3 cars._

He repeated the process, but with altering the code to '41481314.'

Even though he was quite sure that none of them would notice the change, the brown head checked one of the cars just in case.

There was a man with red rimmed sun glasses reading a magazine featuring a boxer called 'Sasagawa Ryouhei' and was giggling to himself in a gay manner.

Tsunayoshi concluded that the Varia were all weird.

As he was about to return to his normal sight, the boy decided to conceal the real mansion with a digital blanket so that it would be harder to find. This way he would also know if someone came in contact with it.

A moment later, he saw the familiar face of the consigliere concentrating on the road. The transmitter was still on his lap and the brown head picked it up.

"I've done everything you told me to," he stated, wiping a drop of sweat off his forehead. He hadn't used his D.C.A. powers for a while and his body was finding it hard to cope with the energy loss.

"Thanks Tsunayoshi. It'll definitely give us valuable time." Some of the stress in Giotto's voice had disappeared.

In his mind, the 5 dots were continuing to move to the fake mansion, exactly according to plan. "I also created a digital blanket to hide the real mansion."

"That's great; inform me when they come into contact." The boss sounded impressed by Tsunayoshi's work and the boy felt a sense of accomplishment.

"Tell me your number just in case I can't tell you personally."

"Ah that's right; you have to know the other's number to send messages with the mind. Mine is 410," Giotto remarked in a monotone, neither proud nor ashamed about what he really was.

"410? That's different to what you whispered…"

Suddenly the transmitter cut off all electric waves and in the air, there was the continuous drone like that of a television on the wrong channel.

"Giotto-san? Giotto-san!?" The consigliere glanced at the frantic figure.

"The transmitter may have been interfered."

The boy shook his head. "It hasn't been interfered. I think there's just been some fault in the transmitter."

Tsunayoshi didn't want to say that he knew that Giotto was purposefully causing the fault by inputting negative waves into the transmitter. Even when he tried sending a message via his mind, there was no reply.

Giotto was hiding something.

* * *

**Notes from Yuhazaki:**

My only excuse for the really late update is the HEAT==; my brain stopped working…

Btw the 'consigliere' is Vongola Secondo and I give credits to the doujinshi 'Love song' for the idea of Secondo being the consigliere a.k.a the advisor. Also the last 2 pages of the doujinshi made me get the idea for this story.

* * *

**Notes:**

_*Consigliere: _Is a position in the Mafia and is an advisor or counsellor to the mafia boss, with the additional responsibility of representing the boss in important meetings both within the boss' crime family and with other crime families. The consigliere is a close, trusted friend and confident.

Code for helicopters: 414816398 [VARIAHELI]

Code for cars: 41481314 [VARIACAR]


	5. X syndrome

_**Chapter 5**_

_-X-syndrome-_

* * *

_10 years ago, Giotto's father witnessed his first death in a hospital. _

_After becoming a doctor he had sworn to maintain a strong heart, even if he had to make agonizing decisions and sit through the passing of someone. But such an oath proved to be nothing when he was called to the room of a young patient with the disease that was striking down children by the minute. Just yesterday the girl had been eagerly drawing on her sketchbook in a stable condition, but in the early hours of the morning she had started to hyperventilate and lose colour from her cheeks. Her parents knew that the time to part with their child had come. They didn't even have to ask the doctor who gravely looked upon the scenery with a tight bottom lip. The two figures kneeled on the floor and grasped their small child's hand, trying to fight back the tears._

"_Don't be afraid," her mother said soothingly, caressing her daughter's flaxen hair. The girl opened and closed her mouth, desperately trying to take air into her lungs._

"_It's alright dear, you don't have to try so har-" The man chocked up, holding a hand across his mouth._

_To the doctor's surprise, he met eyes with the girl and his heart instantly shattered._

'_Please doctor, I don't want to die yet…please help me…I don't want to go...I'm scared…' Her eyes spoke. _

_Then they were silent. _

_There was the continuous beep of the monitor in the background, but the doctor couldn't hear it. No, he purposely blocked the sound of death from his ears. It was all too much._

_Finally he switched the monitor off and looked up at the wall where a single drawing was displayed._

_It was a picture of the family all smiling and holdings hands, and above their heads, a single red heart floated._

_If only love could win against a disease of the heart…_

* * *

"_Why do all these innocent children have to die!?" _

_He banged his fists on the wooden desk and threw papers about in frustration. Some though attacked back by giving him cuts and the doctor cursed them, tempted to rip them into shreds if they had not been documents of his patients and various schedules._

_There must be a way to help them somehow… His finger slid across the spines of a row of books and stopped under one titled 'Methods to find cures.' He put a hand to his sore temple as negative thoughts crossed his mind …but I couldn't possibly find a cure...I don't even know where to start…_

_Ding dong._

"_I'll get it," he called and while ruffling his hair back to shape, walked towards the front door. Without taking much caution, he swung the door open and was greeted by a very tall man with clearly visible scars on his face. There was an unnatural grin on his lips as if it was his first attempt to actually 'smile' and though the doctor wasn't one to judge by looks, the figure in front of him was almost humming with wickedness._

"_Good afternoon, my name is Xanxus and I rung up earlier about the disease affecting children." Matching with his appearance, the man had a low, gruff voice but the doctor sensed an unwavering confidence and pride hidden under the stern surface. _

_The shorter figure gestured towards a room to his right with a pleasant smile. "Please come in."_

_**If at that time I had known...known that everything would start with this man…**_

_Xanxus humbly came in, looking relieved to not have to bang his head on the top of the door. He then held out a bottle of liquor to the doctor who accepted it with a surprised expression._

"_This tequila is one of the finest I have tasted so far and I felt that I should share such a taste with others," he remarked flashing his teeth, again quite awkwardly. However the doctor didn't notice such a thing, as he was overcome by joy with the gift which he had been planning to lay his hands upon. __He could already imagine the golden syrup-like liquid tingle his taste buds, then glide down his throat to the pits of his stomach. "Thankyou very much. This will be my glass of alcohol in front of the fire tonight."_

_The two then moved to a room with a lengthy table in which they sat in front of. _

"_Now down to matters, "Xanxus started, opening his black leather briefcase and pulling out a single piece of paper. "The reason I came here was to ask if you were interested in an experiment that I have devised." The paper was still in his hand and its contents were concealed to the doctor._

_The sound of an 'experiment' didn't appeal to him. He just felt that any experiment this man thought of was for some evil cause._

"_It is an experiment that may help many children who have the disease."_

_Those words triggered a cry of hope inside him. _

"_A cure!?" He exclaimed, standing up from his chair with wide eyes. _

_Xanxus waved a hand gesturing for him to sit down. "Not exactly a cure, but more a way to remove the disease from the body." As he said this, the man flipped the paper over showing it to the doctor. On the paper, there appeared to be a rough diagram of a heart with numerous words beside it and another diagram with an arrow pointing from the heart to a human body. _

"_And that is to make a mechanical heart."_

_Soon the doctor was on his feet again with those topaz eyes flaming with utter shock. "An artificial heart!? That is simply impossible! No one has ever done such a thing!"_

"_It cannot be impossible if it has never been done doctor," Xanxus replied in a composed manner and then continued to defend his experiment. "What if this is the key to saving all the lives of children with the disease? Would you watch your own son die before your eyes?"_

_His lips mouthed soundless words. Watch Giotto die before my eyes...?...Never…_

_He would do anything to protect that smile._

"_I will take part in this experiment of yours," he stated with determination, driven by the fact that it could save so many tears from being spilt. "But how do we start making such a thing?"_

_Xanxus tapped the rough sketch of the heart. "That is where you come in doctor. I know nothing about the heart, but I have knowledge about other parts of the body and most of all, about mechanics. If we combine our knowledge we will be able to make an __**artificial heart**__."_

_There was just something about this man's words that the doctor couldn't say anything against. They were full of power, full of confidence, full of the thing that the doctor lacked in him._

_Optimism. _

* * *

_In between both of their tight schedules, the two exchanged numerous phone calls, met up when they could to make models and prototypes, and at night enjoyed Xanxus' favourite liquor in front of the fire while discussing issues that had arisen._

_The pages of their calendars flew by at a rapid speed and one day the fact that 3 years had passed dawned upon the doctor. He felt relieved that Giotto had not been struck down by the disease during the time period._

"_Experiment 961, begin."_

_Xanxus gritted his teeth and flicked the switch._

_At first there were the sounds of gurgling as it spitted red through the clear tubes but then a moment later, the dye coursed through as the heart contracted and expanded, pumping the 'blood' effortlessly. Though it looked rather rigid and hard, the heart moved in such a natural way that it could have been a normal heart coated with silver._

_Experiment 961 was a success._

_But now they needed a human body to test the artificial heart. Xanxus had told him not to worry about it and that he would sort it all out, but the doctor felt pained thinking about the decision of choosing a child from so many who were equally suffering from the disease._

_As he came home that afternoon, the doctor heard the sounds of crying. He rushed into the house and to his shock, found his son on the floor with his face buried in his knees._

"_What's happened Giotto!?" A pair of hands gripped the shaking shoulders but not once did Giotto look up._

_With a small voice he replied. "He's g-got the d-disease."_

_The doctor knew who his son was talking about._

_It was Tsunayoshi, Giotto's best friend._

_Although there was 6 years of age difference between them, age was certainly no boundary when they were together. Some of the neighbours had even thought they were brothers since they always spent their time together. _

_The man was aware of how important he was to Giotto and without a second thought, drove his son to the hospital. _

_When the two were inside, Giotto immediately started running down the corridor grasping a small piece of paper in his hand._

_"Giotto! Wait!" His father shouted after him, avoiding the eyes of other doctors and nurses looking at him with a slightly concerned expression. The words however simply dissolved into the atmosphere and Giotto was completely oblivious to the shouting. He was already standing in front of a room. Room 24._

_He turned the handle, unable to stop his heart from pulsing speedily and glanced inside._

_A brown headed boy was lying down on the bed under white covers and through the palest of eyes, was looking at his parents with a weak smile._

_"Tsunayoshi!" The older boy couldn't hold himself back and burst into the room, only to be stopped by a familiar hand. "Giotto you can't..."_

_The disease was transmitted through direct contact._

_Giotto clenched his fist, biting his lip as he looked at his friend with misty eyes. _

_An invisible wall was between them. A wall that he couldn't break through nor climb over. He could only just watch death as it slowly came closer with tip of its scythe at Tsunayoshi's heart._

_"Thanks...for coming...I'm really...really glad you came...Giotto," his friend remarked softly, delight glimmering in his eyes._

_"That's what friends do...they're always there for you." He forced his lips to curve into a wide grin._

_Although there was distance between them, the two chattered about whatever came to their mind. During that time, they both forgot about the disease, about where they were and about the tears that they had wept. Colour seemed to return upon Tsunayoshi's cheeks and his voice grew stronger as the two conversed for a good hour._

"_We're excuse ourselves." The doctor bowed his head in respect to the parents as Giotto waved to the brown head who smiled in response._

_As the two ambled down the corridor lit by those glaring artificial lights, Giotto's father noticed a familiar figure attracting the attention of everyone around him. _

"_Xanxus! I didn't know you were visiting this hospital today," he remarked, patting the man's back with a grin though aware that the security guards were around him in a split second._

_**The position as the prime minister was perfect…just too perfect for his plan…**_

_Xanxus shook his head at the guards with a sigh and then turned back to the doctor. "I wanted to talk to the children and to the parents of a particular child."_

_"Good on you prime minister for caring about the community." Again the doctor slapped Xanxus' back much to the annoyance of the guards. "We just came to see a friend but we'll be going now."_

_The doctor and his son turned the corner of the corridor as Xanxus went into a room. Room 24._

* * *

_For a long time the doctor's phone had been worked day and night, unable to rest at all and just as it thought that a holiday was on its way, someone called._

"_I've got permission to conduct the experiment on a child with the disease."_

_The doctor immediately flipped his diary open with a fountain pen in hand. "When will we hold the experiment?"_

"_Tomorrow morning," the voice almost commanded, "we can't afford to let the child die before the experiment."_

_For a second, the doctor frowned at the way Xanxus had said the sentence but let the thought disappear as feelings of delight consumed his heart._

"_I've already told the manager that you're taking an off tomorrow. We'll be conducting the experiment at a special place I've prepared so a car will pick you up at 8am. Have yourself ready by then."_

_**If only I had been caught up in some accident so it stopped me from going…**_

* * *

_My heart smiled in happiness when I saw the parents embracing their child._

_My heart cried in happiness when I saw the child, Tsunayoshi run and embrace my son with tears running down his rosy cheeks. For a moment, I thought I saw light purer than that of Heaven's surround them but didn't take much notice since joy was taking over my mind because of one of fact: the __implantation of the artificial heart had been a success._

_**If only later Giotto had not become caught under the cruel wing of the disease.**_

_After hearing the news, Xanxus immediately persuaded the doctor to conduct the implantation surgery on Giotto and he didn't refuse. _

_What parent would say no to the cure of a deadly disease affecting their child?_

_The knife in his hand felt slightly alienating as he sliced through that young, tender skin which he had hoped he would never have to face his knife to. He pushed back all irrelevant thoughts and kept on repeating to himself: Clear all thoughts. Concentrate on this surgery. Concentrate._

_And so he did, and his efforts answered back._

_"The heart's working without fault. You can relax." Xanxus took off the bloodstained gloves and then from inside a drawer, revealed a small laptop. "Actually you're in no position to be fucking relaxing," he said with a smirk, as the man turned the screen to face the doctor. There was a man clothed in full back holding a sniper rifle aimed at...the video camera zoomed in on a female figure. His wife._

_What...is...this?.. His breathing had come to a halt from the revelation. "Xan-"_

_"Shut the fuck up. A piece of trash like you doesn't have the right to call me by my name," the man growled, glaring at the figure with eyes boiling with rage._

_Xanxus' true colours were shown. His colours were black and red. Black for evil. Red for violence._

_"I'm gonna conduct more experiments on this kid," he stated, getting up to get a new pair of gloves," and if you refuse, it's bang to your bitch." He slammed the lid of the laptop down as the screen showed the sniper with his figure on the trigger._

_Security guards appeared from behind the doctor, and dragged him out of the operating theatre as he desperately shouted at his son on the operating table, who was about to become the victim of whatever evil Xanxus was planning._

_The man was made to sit down on a chair as the guards watched his every move, his every breath._

_Giotto…my god what have I got myself into!?...I should never have…_

_He couldn't continue thinking._

_If he had never made the artificial heart with Xanxus, Tsunayoshi wouldn't be living. His own son wouldn't be living…_

_His thoughts just continued to contradict with each other and they did so till Xanxus came out of the operating theatre._

"_What the hell did you do to Giotto!?" The doctor shouted at the man who merely sat down and placed his legs on the table, enjoying the taste of the amber poison that the two had once drunk together in front of the fireplace._

_There was a smirk on his alcohol stained lips. "Your kid should be honoured to become the first model of the D.C.A. project."_

_The doctor's brows were furrowed. "D.C.A. project?"_

"_Del Cuore Artificial, Artificial Heart." The man placed his hand where his heart was located and then wrote something on a piece of paper. "Tell your kid to say this number to something. If you don't," Xanxus suddenly brought his gun up and shot one of the guards in the head, "this is what your fucking family's gonna get." _

* * *

_With the lives of his wife and relatives on the line, Giotto's father could do nothing but obey Xanxus' orders. Every so often they had 'checkups' in which at first Giotto believed that they were ensuring the function of the artificial heart. The doctor however knew that Xanxus was conducting more experiments on his son. Giotto now had the ability to use flames by saying '410' and to analyse his surroundings with his eyes, even going as far as being able to see the blueprint of a house and controlling any mechanical system by his will. _

_Giotto grew to know that he had become a human experiment. But the fact that he thought that he was being experimented by his father pained the doctor to the core of his heart. The love that his son had shown to him had completely disappeared. It had all become replaced with hatred._

_But hatred evolved and became fear when one day the two came back home, to find that there were blood stains everywhere. They were all fresh. The doctor was about to tell his son to run and get the police, however Giotto noticed something and ran into the dining room._

_There was a figure in a bloody mess on the floor._

"_Tsunayoshi! What happened her-"A hand seized the older boy's throat and Tsunayoshi looked up through his stained hair. "Die you piece of scum." The grip tightened so that it entirely blocked Giotto's airway and his mind was on the verge of shutting down._

_Just as he thought he was going to part from this world, Giotto heard something. "__Say 410 Giotto! Say it now!"_

_Although his throat was basically half-crushed, his lips moved the slightest making a croaking sound. Protective flames appeared around him as they lashed at the brown head with burning claws. Tsunayoshi let go momentarily and the doctor swiftly grabbed his son's arm, running out of the front door._

_The two however were confronted by Xanxus. The man sat on the roof of a car with armed men at his feet._

"_So, how was the sight of a fresh massacre?" He asked, laughing cruelly. "The three of you, come bring them here."_

_From behind them, there was the sound of something sliding across the floor and the doctor turned around in horror. Tsunayoshi along with two other children were pulling the mutilated bodies of his wife and relatives by the hair._

"_Here are the bodies Xanxus-sama," they all stated in a monotone. _

_Xanxus smiled widely as he revealed a syringe with dark liquid in it. He squeezed a little out so that it trickled down the clear side and onto the ground. "X-syndrome, something I made behind your back. With this I can control any human under their will."_

_Everything all of a sudden made sense. The ugly truth dawned upon the doctor. "You…you plan on making a D.C.A. army under your will!? But for what?"_

"_For fucking power you idiot." Xanxus drew out the all too familiar gun and aimed it straight at the man's head. "Doctor, your job's done. Now go take a never-ending vacation in Hell." His finger started to pull the trigger when a shout filled the air._

"_410!!!" _

_A wall of flames rose up, protecting them from both Xanxus and the three children affected by the syndrome. The two ran inside the house and the doctor grabbed his briefcase of notes as they ran to the back garage._

_Strangely, Xanxus' men didn't come after them._

* * *

"_There must be something to go against the X-syndrome," the man mumbled quietly, as he lay on the newly made bed. For today, they had no choice but to stay at a hotel and keep their presence under low profile. _

_Giotto rolled around restlessly on the bed beside his. "Once I heard that guy saying something about pure light," he started, putting his hands on his cheeks, "saying that as long as it doesn't exist he would be invincible."_

"_Pure light…"_

_There was a memory forming inside his mind. _

_It was when the two friends were embracing each other with a strange light revolving around them._

_An odd thought came to mind._

"_Giotto, think of the happiest moment you've had with Tsunayoshi, "the doctor remarked, regretting it a little after seeing the expression on his son's face as Giotto shook his head. _

"_Then think of a time when we were happy together."_

_Giotto paused. Somewhere in his heart, he still wasn't able to fully forgive his father for helping Xanxus. But the boy knew that his father helped because he wanted to save children with the disease._

_He closed his eyes, lighting up the memory which had been lost somewhere in the crevices of his mind._

"_Say 410 with that memory in your head."_

_The boy did as he was told but found no difference in the flames to which the doctor sighed._

_It can't be that simple…_

_A voice from a memory rang in his mind._

_Where there is dark, there is light. Everything has an opposite…a reverse…_

_Reverse…_

"_Giotto, think about the memory again but say 14."_

_There was confusion written on his face but he did as he was told._

_"14"_

_A tingling sensation coursed through his body starting from his heart and spreading out across his arms. A wisp of white rose up from his palms and though it was small in size, it illuminated the whole room without much trouble. _

_The light he was holding in his hands was a fragment of the memory. _

* * *

_Through his eyelids, Giotto sensed a movement in the air and flicked his eyes open in caution._

_It was only his father who appeared to be all dressed and ready much to the boy's anxiousness._

"_Giotto, I need to go back home to get my other notes I left behind…they may have the answer."_

_His drowsy mind snapped awake and he flung himself at the doorway, spreading his arms so that it blocked the doctor's pathway. "But father, they may be waiting for you!"_

_**I already knew what was going to happen but I still went. **_

_The man grinned, trying to show confidence. "It's alright; I'll use the secret route to my working room in the basement."_

_All of a sudden he grabbed Giotto in a tight embrace. There were small tears dropping from the man's eyelashes and he tightened the grip._

"_Be strong Giotto and care for those around you."_

_Those were the last words he said to me._

_Father never returned._

* * *

**Notes from Yuhazaki:**

Thankyou so much for over 1000 hits and awesome support!!!

Nearly cried writing this because I was listening to 'Umarete kite arigatou' from Umineko no naku koro ni BGM

Oh I hate you so much Xanxus!!!!!!!!!!! (I love you so much in my other fics=3)

Wow just realised that the word 'heart' is in 'the artificial' if you connect the two words together.

The last part was rushed==" sorry~


	6. Reunion and Tears

_**Chapter 6**_

_-Reunion and Tears-_

* * *

Ever since he had met Giotto, Tsunayoshi felt that he could spill his heart to him. Why? He really didn't know. But just then after the two had exchanged their numbers, the man was like a stranger. Something was different, as if the embers in his eyes had been doused out and replaced with a darkness blacker than that of night. There seemed to be an electromagnetic field around him which automatically rejected Tsunayoshi's presence. He couldn't understand why, and the more he thought about it, words in his mind would start baring their fangs, cursing him, shunning him.

It pained him to think about it.

When he was in the prison, it had never occurred to him that pain could be a mental thing. Every day it would be pain from the shackles, pain from the bitter frost in winter, pain from starvation and dehydration. But this pain was different. It made him feel like his heart was being scrunched up like a crumpled ball of paper. It made him feel like the veins in his heart were being cut open to reveal a fountain of blood, like ink being spilled over the ball of paper, so everything would become a mess. A mess he couldn't fix or get rid of.

The car hastily made its way to Primo House as it was now fuelled with urgency, and the scenery painted outside was constantly being smudged. It would be clear one second, a blur the next. Perhaps the engine was playing up or it was the consigliere's way of driving. Either way, it only irritated an already heavy-minded Tsunayoshi. He stopped staring at the sky through the tinted glass and decided to 'entertain' himself by checking out the functions of the vehicle.

_Suspension, Transmission, Seals and Gaskets, Sensors, Turbo Supercharger...How do I even know all this?_

As Tsunayoshi was analysing the mechanics of the engine, he found that a teardrop of harlequin green caught his eyes. He stopped using his D.C.A. eyes and realized that his gaze was upon the notched lapel of the consigliere's suit. Unlike the monochrome combination of the man's white shirt and black suit and tie, the brooch was a lustrous gold shaped into a camellia and in the centre of the golden petals; there was a single gem: a peridot.

It seemed very odd for the consigliere to wear such a thing. Perhaps it was in the memory of someone? _Someone important to him..._

"Why do you where that brooch?" The boy asked, hoping that the question wouldn't evoke the memory of someone's death and lead to an awkward silence.

The consigliere's furrowed brows smoothed out and there was a small smile on his lips. "It's a reminder for something...**important**."

_Important…_As Tsunayoshi was pondering over the word; something flickered like an electric spark in his mind. _He _was near.

The boy could see the boss standing beside a black car which was parked in front of the gate of Primo House, complaining to a man who appeared to be the driver.

Giotto was in fact giving his chauffeur a lecture.

"Reborn! I've told you many times about safe driving and THAT back there was no exception!" There was an air of annoyance clouding around Giotto as he crossed his arms; however the chauffeur merely took out a cigar from a packet in his breast pocket and lit it up. The strong-bitter aroma tempted his boss to ask for one, but that would mean he would 'lose' this match.

The lit cigar twirled around the man's fingers before Reborn put it to his mouth, taking a long drag and breathing out writhing smoke. "Seriously stop it boss, you're starting to sound like a dad," as the words left his mouth, a small part of him regretted it. _Oh shit, maybe I shouldn't have mentioned that..._

"Well you're acting like a teenager, driving at quadruple digits." Giotto sighed knowing that they could have any argument for hours. Currently the record was 39 hours in which they argued about what colour the next new car should be.

_"Boss, black is way too boring and it makes us look suspicious."_

_"But to have a colour other than black is a little...odd."_

_"Well I'll tell you why black cars suck: when you park under a tree, (fucking) birds shit all over it and then you have to drive around a car that looks like it's been splattered with white paint."_

_"That wouldn't happen as long as you don't park under a tree."_

_"...black absorbs the sunlight. It would not be cool if I couldn't hold my gun just because I (fucking) burnt my hand on the car."_

_"Only idiots would do that and certainly everyone other than __**you **__would be more careful."_

_"...(bastard)...boss..."_

And this successively continued for another 38 hours 56 mins and 8 seconds. Giotto wondered how they had endlessly attacked with words when there was really nothing in their stomachs.

As he was surfacing from his rant, the man noticed two figures walking towards them. Tsunayoshi looked quite bewildered while the consigliere appeared to not have changed the slightest in colour, seeing as though he had witnessed many of the quarrels and been the one who 90% stopped it from developing into more than just a word argument.

Giotto put a hand on the boy's shoulder with a smile. "Tsunayoshi, thank you again for what you did."

That smile seemed familiar.

"Let's head inside," he remarked, ushering the boy towards the gate as he nodded to the two chauffers, indicating for them to park the cars in the garage. After the click of a key and the engine coming to life, the two cars zoomed off as if they were racing each other to the 'goal.'

With a sigh, Giotto pressed the intercom button and leaned in to the device. "Hello this is Giotto; could someone open the front gate?"

Through the intercom, someone was yelling hysterically making the speakers crackle terribly as if it were about to self-destruct. _"COLONNELLO!! I TOLD YOU NOT TO WASH MY UNDERWEAR YOU PERVERT!!!"_ Sounds of objects being thrown about could be heard; one sound being the painful crash of a vase as it collided ever so mercilessly with the wooden floor.

"_I swear I wasn't looking when I put them into the washing machine!! Lal STOP man!! PUT THE EFFING GRANFATHER CLOCK DOWN KORA!!!*...sorry Giotto-san? I'll open the front gate now." _As the voice said this, the tall gates shuddered and spread open their black arms, welcoming the two figures in.

"Thanks," Giotto remarked into the intercom, before making his way along the path of white gravel to the front door. There was a matching fountain in the centre much like the one in the flame tree garden and as the two walked around it, for a second the man saw upon the water's surface, a pair of eyes: one red and one blue. He came to a stop, eyeing the reflection with almost hypnotised eyes till an energetic voice filled the air.

"Welcome back Giotto-san!" There was a blonde wearing an army print headband at the door, grinning widely as he ran up to them, 'wagging his tail' as though a dog were welcoming back his master. His eyes gleamed curiously at Tsunayoshi who was almost hiding behind Giotto's 'cape,' slightly alarmed about the cheerful figure.

The man tilted his head to the side, eyeing the small figure with interest. "Who's this little kid here?"

"His name is Tsunayoshi." The moment the name came out of Giotto's mouth, the blonde's brows rose up the slightest in recognition and Tsunayoshi could feel that the atmosphere had changed. The man was cautious, as though he were coming in contact with something 'unpredictable.' Which was quite true since Tsunayoshi was one of _them._

Trying to mask his vigilance, the blonde slapped back a smile on his face. "Nice to meet you Tsunayoshi," he said, saluting in a military fashion, "the name's Colonnello."

After the greetings were done, they went inside and Colonnello lead them to the living room where Tsunayoshi recognised the chauffeur with the hat and the consigliere, but also another figure who was in fact a woman. She had her arms crossed with a frown that could have sent the wolves running with their tails between their legs, and the expression changed to an even darker one when the blonde came in.

"Hey Reborn my man!" Colonnello cried, giving his mate a slap on the back.

"Long time no see Colonnello," the man remarked with an obvious smirk and nudged the guy in the ribs, "how's it going with the girl?"

A small, faint blush appeared on the blonde's cheeks as if it were a rose on the verge of blooming, and his grin widened as if the question had just made his day. "We've rolled around the bed a few times and she's slapped me what? 100 times? But it's going good," as he said this, Colonnello flashed a smile towards the woman who was now letting all her roses bloom swiftly across her cheeks. Since Giotto was here, her palm was secured to her side tightly so it wouldn't automatically lash out, but the woman knew her restraints were loosening at a rapid speed.

Reborn put a hand on his love-dovey-friend's shoulder. "Think of the slaps as Lal showing her love to you, in a physical way."

_Lal slaps and tries to kill me a lot=she loves me A LOT_. His mind had already figured out that 'formula' ages ago.

"I know, but seriously one day she's gonna knock my jaw outta place and then I won't be able to kiss her."

_SLAP!_

The effect was instantaneous and a blur of blonde and green was sent down to the ground. Towering above a sprawled eagle-like Colonnello was his lover, cracking her knuckles and ready for round 2.

"I love you too Lal," the blonde said dreamily, sending 'heart-marks' to her through his gaze and as her hand was about to claim his life, someone coughed.

It came from the owner of Primo House who couldn't help but smile at the scenery. "Lal, as much as you love him, be a bit more gentle."

Her actions finally sunk in and Lal put down her hand quickly, looking at the floor like a girl being told off of her ill-behaviour.

"Now," Giotto's smile faded as did the joking atmosphere, "assemble everyone in the living room," he commanded to the care-takers, who nodded and quickly took off sensing the stress. After a second of eye contact between the boss and the consigliere, Tsunayoshi with much confusion was taken down the hallway, leaving Giotto and his chauffeur together.

It took a while for the boss to spit out what he had to say.

"Reborn…I need you track down someone."

The chauffeur leaned back on the arm of the sofa. It was rare for his boss to give him such a 'hit-man' like job these days.

"And go _bang_," Reborn's hand was in the shape of a gun to his head, "to him?"

It was actually a silly question to ask, since the boss hated other people dirtying their hands for his **sake**.

Giotto shook his head and started making his way to the living room, and as he passed the man, he whispered:

"_Rokudo Mukuro_."

* * *

In contrast with the black gate in the front, the door to the backyard was a white gate. It was fully open and let Tsunayoshi into the world he had forgotten.

A world full of laughter, smiles and light.

The carpet of sunlit, glossy grass rolled out across the vast expanse, while thousands-of-year-old trees dug their roots deeply into the land, becoming an umbrella for those who wanted to enjoy quiet reading out of the sun. Further in the distance, there was a forest ever growing and spreading its borders further to create new homes for the animals, of which some had learned to take care of the younger children. Other older figures played sports freely in the area, chasing the soccer or hockey ball, throwing the cricket ball, while in the fenced baseball area, there were homeruns being hit and sounds of panting as the figures dashed to the next base.

Tsunayoshi saw a figure past the mesh wearing a black helmet and a silver bat in hand. The black head took a clear, accurate swing and the ball seemed to loop in and out of the fielders' reach like that of an escaping bird, and finally came contact with the back fence. It was the right decision to make him the last batter. All those on a base sprinted and each put a triumphant foot on the home base. The last runner came and ran past the goal to a silver haired figure sitting on the bench.

That moment, there were words Tsunayoshi wanted to scream but they wouldn't come out.

Much to the consigliere's surprise, the brown head ran to the fenced area, hurled the door open and with blurry eyes, threw his arms around the two at the bench.

"Gokudera-kun! Yamamoto!"

The tears Tsunayoshi thought he would never weep were running down his cheeks endlessly. They were real tears, real tears of **happiness**.

"Tsuna!" Like a chord that had struck in both of them, the two wrapped their arms around the small figure, finally feeling that their circle of friendship was no longer incomplete. Their hearts pulsed together in robotic unison, constantly reminding them all that it wasn't a dream...

Tsunayoshi broke the embrace and looked at the two with warm eyes. "I thought I would never see you guys again," he remarked, gripping the hands that had once been torn away from him.

Even though the atmosphere was one of joy, Yamamoto had to ask the question that had been hanging like a persistent grey cloud over his head the moment he had seen his friend. "Tsuna, if you're here…you're one of the D.C.A. right?"

A small nod was the reply much to the two boys' disappointment.

"We were so worried when you went missing. Especially your mum," Gokudera said, gripping the hand tighter and wishing that they would never have to part again.

However the brown head's brows became deeply furrowed. "My mum?...why...why would she be worried!?...S-she was the one who sold me for money!!!" Trembling fingers gripped his hair harshly as the memories flew past his eyes, leaving raw gashes in his mind. It made him feel like something was constricting him inside and out. It hurt to think. It hurt to breathe.

A pair of hands grasped the boy's shoulders. "What're you talking about?! Your mum was literally searching for you day and night everywhere! She asked the neighbours, police, even the mafia!" The silver head cried, remembering the times when they had to stop Nana, Tsunayoshi's mother from being so reckless as to search for her son the whole day without resting or eating. It would pain them to see Nana cry continuously when she fell ill and couldn't search for Tsunayoshi herself or times when she heard the school bell ring and would look at the front door, hoping that her son would appear with an _"I'm home!"_

"But I remember that she sold me!! She was on the phone and everything!!" Tsunayoshi shouted frantically, his mind in a turmoil when a synthesized voice whispered in his ear.

_Verified. Proceed to fake memory of Sawada Tsunayoshi. _

The confusion and hate shattered like an orchestra of castanets.

Somewhere from reality, a worried voice penetrated his thoughts. "Tsuna? What's wrong?"

A lot of things were wrong right now, but for now one question was answered. "Nothing. I'm just a little tired, since I've had a lot on my mind." Which was true since he had just re-routed the Varia members to a digitally re-created fake mansion.

Tsunayoshi's eyes widened with sudden realisation. _How close are they to the fake mansion!? _He thought, opening up the grid in his mind, but his worries were erased when he saw the dots still 4 grid squares away from the target. For now he could relax and enjoy the company of his friends, and start filling the empty space of 4 years without them.

"Takeshi! Hayato! Look what I found!" They looked towards the direction of the voice and spotted a boy running to them, holding something in the air excitedly. "It's shiny and silver!" He showed the object to them in a proud manner but seemed disappointed by the reaction of his audience.

_It looks...almost like a bullet..._ The brown head peered at it closer much to the boy's delight. _There's inscriptions...'__**X-S ver. X**__?'..._

"Onii-chan* are you new here?" Tsunayoshi expected two curious, puppy dog like eyes looking up at him, but instead he saw one intelligent blue eye. The other was covered under a white eye-patch.

The boy grinned childishly, giving the brown head a hug as though he were happy to have another join the 'family.' "My name's _Fujimori Mitsuru_ and my number's **69**. Nice to meet you!"

He couldn't deny the feeling as much as he wanted to, but there was something foreboding about the number 69. It rang like a distant peal of thunder, clashed like two opposite colours and seemed to darken the sky...

"Tsuna!? TSUNA!? ARE YOU ALRIGHT? SHIT, CONSIGLIERE-SAN!!"

_What is this cold, foreign liquid that moves through my veins? I don't know...but now...I can't...think...any...more..._

* * *

Fire was happy devouring the logs that had been cut up for him since they came from the oak tree. Oak was his favourite because it took a long time to consume and could keep his body satisfied for a while, especially since the master of the house liked to read for hours at night. He would watch his master flick through the (delicious-looking) pages that would always make him salivate, and eventually as hours passed, (delectable) leather bound books would keep piling up beside him. It was the same this night except there was another figure. He appeared to be sleeping on the master's lap and much to fire's glee, his master was in very good mood. Maybe he would toss one of those delicacies into fire's mouth? But the crimson velvet sofa looks just as good. Fire wondered when the time would come when he would 'accidently' let his hunger take over and devour the mansion. That would be very good, but master wouldn't be happy.

From the smallest of cracks in his eyes, Tsunayoshi could see fire waving a 'good-evening' at him but his mind was too drowsy to command his arm to greet back.

_This is quite a soft pillow..._ As he turned to his back, he felt the 'pillow' move underneath him and the boy realised that he was staring at something brown...and moving. Tsunayoshi froze trying to figure out what sort of situation he was in, but the cogwheels in his mind were still on the way to recovering from his 'sleep.' Suddenly the brown thing moved and revealed a spectacled Giotto.

"Welcome back to reality Tsunayoshi," he smiled, putting the book down to his side.

The brown head got up speedily, hoping that fire wouldn't expose the blush on his cheeks. Even though he was facing the other way, Tsunayoshi had a feeling that the boss could see and willed himself to turn pale, if you could even do that.

There was a moment of silence, except the sounds of crackling as fire munched up the crispy parts of the bark.

"I'm glad you were happy meeting your friends," Giotto remarked, putting his glass of red wine in the other hand and swirling it, so the liquid glistened seductively under fire's light.

Something clicked. Giotto was 'hiding' himself again and becoming that stranger. No, becoming **somebody else**.

Tsunayoshi looked at the poker eyes of the boss intently. "Are you really happy?"

As if cold ice had frosted the man's hands the wine glass stopped moving, creating a calm ocean of red. Giotto then put the glass down onto the table as if nothing had happened but his mouth continued to shut itself, and so Tsunayoshi continued. "Every time you smile, every time you say that your happy for me, is it really true?"

A hand reached out for the boy's head and ruffled Tsunayoshi's brown bangs. "Of course it is," the man grinned, stretching his arms out and relieving the stress built upon his shoulders, "before father died, he told me to _be strong and care for those around _me."

A smaller hand reached out to the man's arm. "You've done so much for me even though we're **strangers**." Tsunayoshi peered up at the boss expecting a smile but was horrified to see small clear quartz-like beads fall from Giotto's eyes. The man realised what he was doing and wiped the tears away quickly. The tears were like a far-off memory. He hadn't cried for so many years.

"Sorry...it's nothing," he whispered, then placed his head on Tsunayoshi's shoulder. "Lend me your shoulder for the night."

Giotto knew that he couldn't get everything he wanted. Right now he had to cherish the time with Tsunayoshi, but he still wished...

_We aren't strangers Tsunayoshi…we're much more than that…_

* * *

**Notes from Yuhazaki:**

I apologize if there are any mistakes with the functions/mechanics of the car:P

Peridot is my birthstone XD

Since I've been busy with school, I will warn you all that I won't be able to update regularly:( But I'll put a lot of effort into each chapter^^

* * *

**Notes:**

_*Kora: _written as「コラ」and is a phrase that Colonnello often puts at the end of his sentences, meaning sort of like 'hey,' but I don't think there is an accurate translation.

_*Onii-chan: _written as「お兄ちゃん」and means 'elder brother' but in an informal way. 「ちゃん」is used at the end of names and there is no accurate translation.


	7. Maelstrom

_**Chapter 7**_

_-Maelstrom-

* * *

_

_I'll explain everything when you get to Primo House._

Giotto-san lied. There was no mistaking that those very words had been erased from Tsunayoshi's memory. But the man had left traces; fine, transparent silhouettes of the words in his mind, as if he wanted the boy to know what he had done. Tsunayoshi closed his eyes and sent an electric spark into the lifeless shells of the words, so that they convulsed and twisted back into their original form, retaining a colour that stood out all too powerfully against the black canvas of his mind.

_Why didn't you erase everything Giotto-san? Why did you leave these traces?_

Sometimes he just had no idea why Giotto did the things he did. Was there a meaning? Something the man wanted to tell him?

"Tell me then Giotto-san...why did you cry when I said the word **strangers**? At least give me that answer..." The question drifted about in the cavernous room, circling around a porcelain vase, weaving in and out of the rice paper-like curtains, unable to find its partner called 'answer.' Time passed and the question started disappearing into thin, wispy streams of smoke, as if its body were burning sorrowful hyacinth incense.

_A question will die when it believes that its partner does not exist...or does not want to exist._

What came after was just silence, an open mouth that sung even though the vocal chords had been ripped out. Nothing moved. The door wouldn't dare creak as it spread its arms open, praying that the bones within it were still young enough to move freely. It flinched the slightest, feeling a cold shadow darken its caramel surface to a maroon. Pale faces were unblinking, their breaths held tight within their lungs as they sent a telepathic message to the clueless figure on the sofa. _Run boy, run!_ But no messages would pierce that mind, now a labyrinth of questions isolated from reality, as if someone had taped 'DO NOT ENTER' over and over again in Tsunayoshi's mind.

The shadow melted with its background, sliding across the floor till it reached its destination: the sofa. Everything became hazy and distorted, like that of a television screen on the wrong channel as the dark presence revolved in great columns of mist.

_You are a…_

Suddenly a face popped up from behind the sofa, almost making Tsunayoshi's heart malfunction.

"Good morning Tsuna-nii!* The wide grin on Mitsuru's face seemed to contradict the 'colour' in his eyes for a moment, but the older boy moved any suspicions to the 'recycling bin' in his mind. How could he even suspect for one millisecond a boy who had probably experienced a similar torture to his? He had cried at least a litre of tears every day, but this boy must have cried ten.

Tsunayoshi ruffled the boy's midnight-blue hair and laughed. "Mitsuru, you scared me!" He embraced the younger boy, listening to the pulsing waves of his mechanical heart. Every time people embrace, their hearts exchange a message. His was – _Thankyou for your smile Mitsuru. I will never forget the warmth of it._

For once, he forgot the numerous scars engraved like an epitaph on his back. He forgot the tattooed number and his artificial heart. And how he was a human weapon, nothing to control him now, not even the **marred puppeteer's strings**.

After changing into a simple t-shirt and shorts, Mitsuru lead him to the dining hall. As he entered, Tsunayoshi instantly suspected that something was wrong with him. He felt like that person who rushed to work, unaware that his mates had shown their somewhat abstract artistic skills upon the person's face. Swiftly he switched to his D.C.A. eyes and checked himself, but all he could see was his face. It was somewhat worn out with a few blue veins surfacing on the corners of his eyes and spreading its skeletal branches down the sides of his cheek. From a past experiment, one of his irises had developed a layer of pale substance, in effect making the eye a shade lighter. Although the difference wasn't obvious, Tsunayoshi found it difficult to look people in the eye.

There was an immediate increase in volume and amount of waves careering about in the atmosphere as thoughts arose about the new member, creating a ghastly masquerade of screeching Sirens. One of his brows moved in a downwards motion and the other upwards. _So noisy…mute…where's the mute again?..._ After meticulously ruffling through files of questions, thoughts, emotions and memories in his head, Tsunayoshi found the mute switch in the corner of his mind.

_Click._

As if the Sirens had been muzzled, all noise diminished to nothing. However, he still kept 'normal' noises flowing through his ear since he didn't want to start off the day at Primo House being labelled as the 'Anti-social mute.'

"Over here!" Mitsuru waved at the brown head from his table and a look of relief washed across Tsunayoshi's face. He quickly made his way to the group, avoiding the whispers, pointing of fingers and goggling eyes but found that there were more eyes on him when Gokudera and Yamamoto abruptly stood up.

"Are you alright now?" They both chorused; the two voices mixed together to form a perfect fifth. A look of surprise was met by an equal amount of surprise as they peered at each other.

Tsunayoshi's lips curved into a wide smile. It was a smile that formed when one had a cup of hot, malting chocolate on Jack Frosts' day out or when one ate a heart-shaped cherry. Minute fragments as small as powdered diamonds began forming the picture he had dreamed of one too many times. The boy placed a hand on their arms and gave them a light pat. "I'm fine now, sorry for making you worried."

A cloud of relief seemed to sprinkle rain across their faces, smoothing out their anxious lines, and then there were the clatter of chairs as everyone sat down, constantly being reminded by their stomachs. In a vain attempt to put their mind off the reminders, everyone's mouth spilled word after word about their life, their suffering and especially loved ones they had lost.

According to Yamamoto and Gokudera, after Tsunayoshi's disappearance a letter arrived in each of their mailboxes.

_The brat's heart'll be beating on the floor if you don't come._

_44 Sky Avenue._

_Varia_

Both of them were well aware that there was no guarantee they would come back alive, together. They knew who they were dealing with; the notorious, clandestine group: Varia. But they also never knew that this meeting would change everything. When they saw that glistening heart pulsing rhythmically on the floor, ice travelled through their veins faster than that of light. And when they saw darkness, they knew it was the end. Only to be woken up by the circles of light hovering above them, they watched in horror as their red jewels were taken out and replaced by a flawless silver jewel. The operation was a success and now they had to endure the nightmare awaiting them: experiments. For 3 years they survived the fangs of the snake, the white stones they had to consume and the brutality of _**X**_ till the day of 'disposal' came.

"Disposal?" A shiver rippled through Tsunayoshi's body like the single pulse of a soundwave. His hands started shaking uncontrollably under the table. Unconsciously, cold nails dug into his palm and there was that feeling again, like something was inside of him. He had no power to control or to get rid of it. He didn't even know what it was. But it was there.

A hand gently squeezed his. Tsunayoshi looked up with surprise and then his hazel eyes softened to a warm pastel hue.

_Tsuna-nii it's alright_. Mitsuru's eye said. All of a sudden, the younger boy's eyes widened and he flicked his head to the direction of the door leading to the kitchen. There was a scent in the air that Tsunayoshi couldn't exactly describe but every time he breathed it in, a picture of his mother formed in his mind.

"Luce-san!" There was the clang of a harassed chair as Mitsuru stood up and ran to a woman at the door. The force of which he had run would have made quite an impact to the woman's frail-looking body, but Mitsuru knowingly slowed down before giving the woman's rather round tummy a gentle embrace.

Luce steadied the warm plates she had in her hands with white knuckles and flashed her teeth hastily. "Good morning Mitsuru, Aria says good morning to you too." Aria was the unborn baby inside of her. Although she had not asked the doctors to perform an ultrasound to determine the sex of the child, Luce was certain by some reason that it was a girl, and so named her _Aria_.

"Mitsuru-kun can you help me serve these?" The woman asked, tilting her head to the metal trolley beside her, lined up with the same dish she had in hand.

With an enthusiastic nod, Mitsuru took one plate in each hand and started serving them out to the nearest table. Although the woman tried her best to walk normally, Tsunayoshi could see her slightly hobble along and felt obliged to help. He was about to stand up but a plate had appeared in front of him.

It was a simple-looking muffin, perfectly cooked to an amber-brown but within it held something special. He carefully peeled the paper back, copying what the other children were doing and took a hesitant bite. He almost jumped at the sudden burst of sweetness that took over his taste buds and a warm sensation filled his body like that of an embrace from a loved one.

From his peripheral sight, he could see a slender hand waving to him and he turned to see Luce. "Hello Tsunayoshi-kun, enjoying my muffin?" Her eyes glimmered tenderly like that of a distant star in the sky who looked upon and protected those on Earth.

Tsunayoshi nodded, placing a hand to where his heart was. "It makes me feel warm here."

For a moment pastel blue sympathy replaced the cheerful hue in her eyes but all of a sudden the door tried to escape...and was unsuccessful. A young man with a plaited pony-tail came rushing in with a shocked expression upon his face. "Luce-san! You mustn't be moving around too much!" He tried to reach for the plates in her hand but the woman side-stepped her opponent, determined to carry out the job.

"It's alright Fong, the cramps have eased up." She then turned to Tsunayoshi. "I wanted to meet out new member."

Like that of a soldier in the army, Fong straightened his posture in a split second and bowed in a low manner. "Pleased to meet you, my name is Fong."

"My name is Tsunayoshi, pleased to meet you too." Taken aback by the polite manner, Tsunayoshi also bowed his head a little just to be on the safe side.

A breath of recognition travelled to the boy's ears but before any questions could be made, Fong had slipped through the kitchen door, bringing through various smells of toast, eggs and sausages.

Food was the first priority right now.

* * *

_Va…ha…v….fou…d…ma…s...on…_

His eyes widened. _What was that noise?_

The wind was unsteady, unable to hide its tension as it roughly caressed the boy's hair. Ash clouds were stealthily devouring the white strokes in the sky and Tsunayoshi could already feel the atmosphere turn damp on his skin.

"We might have to pull up guys! It's gonna rain in about 10 minutes or so!" Yamamoto called to the other members, as they started packing the baseball equipment with urgency. Nobody ever doubted Yamamoto's 'weather forecast report.' It was just so damn accurate.

"Hey Tsuna, do you mind getting that ball near the fence?" The black head pointed at a ball which had tried to escape the fence by digging under the soil but failed doing so. Tsunayoshi gave a nod and sprinted to where it was.

The ball clearly had a head-on-collision with the fence, resulting in them conjoining. Tsunayoshi reached down and pulled the ball, but as he did the fence bit back like a predator stopping its prey from being taken. He instinctively drew back, taking the ball with him and watched the red ribbons flowing out from the back of his hand. Red and warm. His mind pieced together a memory of a child drowning in a tub of blood. Until the final moment when that hand disappeared into the vermillion sea, Tsunayoshi had done nothing to even try save the child.

By then it was the third time in which Giotto had tried sending a message. Tsunayoshi realised that he had unconsciously set up a barrier to ignore everything that concerned the outside world, and hastily broke it.

_Tsunayoshi, come to the living room after you've done packing up._

The boy's brows were furrowed in slight annoyance. It seemed more like a command, not a 'if you want to come.'

_To 410: I'll be there in a few minutes._

He tried to hide the dissatisfaction in his voice but Giotto seemed to have picked up the tone.

_I'll be waiting._

A sigh escape Tsunayoshi's mouth. It's not like he didn't want to see Giotto. It was just that he wanted to reclaim the 'lost time' with his friends.

Even as he headed towards the living room, his conscience was having an all-out-debate-session about how he was letting out unnecessary sand out of the hourglass of time he had spending with his friends. His hand seemed to think otherwise and rapped on the polished surface of the door without so much as a second of hesitation. There was a familiar 'come in,' and with reluctance, Tsunayoshi entered the room. Surprisingly, Giotto didn't appear to indicate any sign of acknowledgment that the boy had come in, as his eyes were clearly following the words on the leather bound book he was holding.

It was only until a minute had passed when the man patted the space next to him, indicating that Tsunayoshi be seated there. With an awkward expression, the boy placed himself in a position where he was neither too close nor too far from Giotto. The moment was reminiscent of last night.

Giotto's voice broke the hushed atmosphere with a rigid tone. "You spend quite a lot of time with him recently, don't you?" There was no eye contact between the two as Giotto merely continued to read.

There were 'canines' behind those words. The choice of words would have played an important role in this situation but unaware of such a thing, Tsunayoshi blurted out the honest question. "Who?"

"Mitsuru,' the man answered, memorising the page number and shut the book. His canines retracted and a smirk played upon his lips."I didn't know you were a shota-kon Tsunayoshi?"

Even though there was knowledge he lost during the time he was a human experiment, _that_ word luckily hadn't been erased from his vocabulary list. "I _do _know what that means Giotto-san." He could tell that Giotto had tried to lighten up the mood with a joke but the boy swept it aside, wanting to get onto the serious matters. "What did you exactly call me here for?"

The man was fiddling with a strand of uneven length hair and upon hearing the question, Giotto tapped his head.

Head=Mind=Graph=Varia - Tsunayoshi's mind processed. Since his mind had not made any urgent announcements, he had forgotten about the movements of the Varia and the digital mansion. Hastily the boy checked the grid and realised that the dots on the grid were all stationary. _They could have stopped moving by vehicle…_

"They've either crashed or stopped using their method of transportation," Tsunayoshi reported, suddenly feeling less safe and guilty that he hadn't bothered to check the grid.

Not a shade of colour changed on Giotto's face as if he had predicted such a thing would happen. The man got himself upon his feet and started heading towards the door, taking a black coat from the coat-rack on the way. "Keep a vigilant eye around here will you? "

Tsunayoshi's voice cleanly cut through the air. It was like a blade wrapped in suspicion, intending to slash any jokes or humour present. "Where are you going?"

The answer came back in a monotone. "Somewhere you don't need to know."

From the corner of the boy's mind, something started to grow. **Suspicion**, doubt...lies...Giotto just couldn't be trusted. He was a stranger anyway.

* * *

**Notes from Yuhazaki:**

Ok, I was on a super-major-serious-case-of-writer's-block but now I'm fine...hopefully;P

It's quite significantly shorter than the previous chapters but enjoy:)


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